Portable barrier systems including a post or stake for insertion in or placement on the ground or other surface and a reel containing a tape or cord which is selectively extended to block off an area or retract it are generally known. Examples of prior art arrangements of this type are shown in the following Patent documents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,595,496, issued Jul. 22, 2003, U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. US 2003/0222253, pub. Dec. 4, 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,137, issued Jan. 16, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 4,844,420, issued Jul. 4, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,597, issued Mar. 2, 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,164, issued Apr. 23, 2002, U.S. Patent Application Pub. US 2006/0113514, pub. Jun. 1, 2006, U.S. Patent Application Pub. US 2005/0191107, pub. Sep. 1, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 2,454,348, issued Nov. 23, 1948, U.S. Pat. No. 6,830,236, issued Dec. 14, 2004, U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,429, issued Mar. 26, 1996, U.S. Pat. No. 6,969,050, issued Nov. 29, 2005, U.S. Design Pat. No. D415,729, issued Oct. 26, 1999 and UK Patent Application GB 2 376 247, pub. Dec. 11, 2002.